Cover Image: Dear Mrs. Bird

Dear Mrs. Bird

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I thoroughly enjoyed Dear Mrs. Bird, and was actually quite surprised by the storyline. I read a great deal of Historical Fiction, and often the storyline falls into a sappy romantic abyss, or is more fiction than history. AJ Peace did excellent, and quite interesting, research for her first novel. She writes from a different perspective on 'keeping a stiff upper lip' during wartime, specifically during WW2. Keep Calm and Carry On makes perfect sense, however, people ARE human. I'm giving this novel 4 stars for rwo reasons: the cover and the predictable outcome. It's a great book!

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I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence my review.

Historical fiction fans may want to keep an eye out for the new release: Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce, a wonderful WWII novel set in London during the blitz.

I had to struggle a bit through the first chapter. The protagonist was, at first, too awkwardly perky and naive. But I rapidly warmed to her.

Emmy Lake is doing her part by volunteering to answer phones for the fire brigade at night and working as a secretary by day. But she dreams big. She wants to be a journalist – a war correspondent She believes she’s gotten her big break when she sees a help wanted ad: the newspaper is hiring a “junior.” But when she does get the job, she’s distressed to discover she’ll be sorting mail and typing for the advice columnist at a failing, old-fashioned women’s weekly magazine.

Once this premise is established and Emmy deals with the situation she’s found herself in, the narrative voice settles down and the book takes off.

Emmy is an optimist and she makes the best of an unpleasant situation. Her boss, Mrs. Bird, has ridiculously outdated ideas about what is suitable for an advice column. Nothing about the war or anything hinting about relationships can be addressed. Not many women bother writing to Mrs. Bird, but unacceptable letters far outnumber acceptable ones. Emmy is tremendously upset by Mrs. Bird’s callousness. She wants to help. She starts answering letters and signing them with Mrs. Bird’s name.

Meanwhile, her own life suffers a few bumps. Her boyfriend jilts her. Bombs keep falling. It gets harder and harder to keep calm and carry on. The crises grow more serious and the story’s poignancy increases as the losses hit closer and closer to home.

Emmy’s great fault is impulsiveness and her judgment is faulty at times, but her heart is definitely in the right place. She’s brave, persistent, and loyal. And she and her best friend Bunty amuse and entertain.

The subject matter gets heavy and Emmy does a lot of growing up, but a light-hearted strain runs throughout the novel. Its feel-good ending will make you feel good! I find myself wishing for a sequel.

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Wonderful "up lit" novel! Charming and funny, and historically accurate. Most enjoyable. Reminded me of PBS's Father Brown.

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For me, this was a very interesting read. I love historical fiction and had never read one for this time period. I'm glad I did because it brought home to me what it was (IS) like to live, work and play in a war-torn area of the world. I could never know what living with bombs raining down on me was really like and this author captures exactly what I imagined it would be like.

Some of this book left a bit to be desired since the heroine was so very naive, but that could be because of the time period and that most girls were just not used to being the 'strong' ones yet. And yes, those left at home to keep 'the home fires burning' were just as strong, in my opinion, as the boys defending flag and country.

A happily ever after for some a not so happily ever after for other's -I liked that this romance book showed that not everything was peaches and cream. There were humor and sadness and frustration in this book and they blended nicely.

I may not re-read this book but I certainly would recommend it to those that like historical fiction and especially to those who are younger than I am.

*ARC supplied by publisher.

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Set in wartime London, Dear Mrs. Bird, is about a young woman named Emmy who wants to do something to help out.  She answers a newspaper ad for the London Evening Chronicle and believes her dreams of becoming a correspondent have come true.  The reality she soon finds out is typing answers to questions sent into Henrietta Helps column in the Woman’s Friend Magazine. Henrietta is the pseudonym for the grumpy Mrs. Bird.  The position does not allow Emmy to have any thought related to the responses but the questions that Mrs. Bird deems inappropriate, Emmy begins to respond to on her own.

This book was well written and a very fast read.  Emmy is a young and likable character. The book takes a serious period in history and is respectful of that time period while also injecting some fun into the mix with the main character, Emmy.  I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

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I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley.

Dear Mrs. Bird is a quaint story about Emmeline Lake, a young woman living in a London during the blitz who dreams of becoming a serious war correspondent. Emmy lives with her best friend and volunteers at the fire brigade answering calls and dispatching firefighters. One day she sees an ad for a job opening at a magazine, only to find out after she’s hired that the job is not for the magazine she thought, but for Woman’s Friend. She is hired to be a junior secretary for Mrs. Bird, an advice columnist who has been asked out of retirement to reprise her role at the magazine. Emmy’s job is to read through the mail, and pick out the letters that Mrs. Bird feels are appropriate for their readers. Nothing involving sex, marital relations, politics, or illegal activities are considered fir publication, and Emmy is instructed to destroy those letters. Emmy soon discovers that a vast majority of the letters involve relations with the boyfriends and lovers from women who are left at home while their husbands and fiancés are off fighting the war. Emmy feels a close connection with these women, and decides that she will respond to a letter directly, without Mrs. Bird knowing.

From this point, the story is fairly predictable. I enjoyed it, although there was never anything that really grabbed me and sucked me in. The characters were well developed and believable. Ms. Pearce did paint a realistic picture of a what life was like in London during the Blitz, but I still can’t imagine how hard it was to just survive the day to day. Women of that generation were truly heroes who not only kept the home fires burning, but filled the factories and took care of everything back home.

As a fan of historical fiction, especially WWII, this book will be on my list of recommendations. It is well researched and executed. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC! (less)

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<em>Dear Mrs. Bird</em> is the story of plucky heroine Emmaline Lake, who dreams of becoming a war correspondent but mistakenly ends up with a job as a typist for a women's magazine -- a magazine which tends to feature pieces on cooking, sewing, and romantic fiction. Part of Emmy's job is to sort the incoming letters addressed to Mrs. Bird, the fiercely old-fashioned "editress" who won't tolerate letters on forbidden topics (such as love, marriage, or intimacy), and whose main advice to readers seems to be to buck up and stop feeling sorry for oneself.

Emmy feels compassion for the writers of these ignored letters, and despite being young and inexperienced herself, decides that these women clearly need someone to respond and encourage them. She begins secretly corresponding with the letter writers, sending them letters back offering warmth and practical guidance, and even dares to sneak a few of the Unpleasant letters and her responses into the printed magazine, knowing that Mrs. Bird never reads the finished product.

Meanwhile, Emmy works as a volunteer for the fire service, answering the desperate phone calls that come in reporting fires during each air raid, and is determined that she must make a meaningful contribution to the war effort. Despite the horror of the bombings, Emmy manages to enjoy life as well, living with her best friend Bunty, celebrating Bunty's engagement, and even meeting a charming young man of her own.

Things go wrong, of course. Emmy's life is thrown completely off course by one particularly horrific air raid... and as expected, her secret life as an advice columnist can't stay secret forever.

I really enjoyed <em>Dear Mrs. Bird</em> for its breezy, "keep calm and carry on", chin-up tone, blending a sense of fun with the knowledge that the war is ever-present and ready to steal away one's home and friends and family. Emmy is an engaging main character, a little naive but always well-intentioned. She doesn't always make the best choices, but her heart is in the right place, and she's completely devoted to her friends and to her country. It's lovely to see Emmy's compassion for the sad, worried letter-writers -- she understands that they write to "Mrs. Bird" because they have no place else to turn, and she takes it upon herself to make sure that they're heard and given some measure of practical guidance and hope.

The bombing of the Café de Paris, a key turning point in the story, is a true event, and that makes it even more powerful in the context of the book. It's but one horrific incident in the London Blitz, but it serves to illuminate the personal tragedies and the immediacy of the destruction experienced by the people of London during that awful time. In <em>Dear Mrs. Bird</em>, the author shows the uncertainty of living daily life, going to work and going out with friends, knowing that on any night when the skies are clear, the world may come crashing down around you.

I did wish for a little more at the end of the book. I would have liked to know what happened next, and how the remainder of the war years went for Emmy, Bunty, and their circle of friends. Likewise, while there's a resolution for the plot about Emmy's secret letter writing, I wanted more -- how did it work out? What happened next? I guess that's a pretty good sign that the book captured my interest!

The other element I wished for a bit more of was the letters themselves. There are several featured throughout the book, but I think the storyline and Emmy's input would have benefited from even more -- more letters, more of Emmy's responses. The author's note at the end of the book is fascinating, as she discusses being inspired by the advice columns from women's magazines of the era. It's hard to imagine, sitting here in our relatively peaceful times, that columns such as "Dear Abby" would be filled with letters not just about romance and dating, but about the difficulty of falling in love and raising children while bombs are falling and one's loved ones are off on the front lines.

<em>Dear Mrs. Bird</em> strikes a balance between plucky optimism and can-do spirit and the sorrow and worry of life on the homefront while a war rages on. It's a tough tone to maintain, but author AJ Pearce pulls it off beautifully. I was engaged by the plot and the characters, and thoroughly enjoyed my time with Emmy. It's a quick read, and highly recommended!

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An intelligent and touching story from the start. Young Emmeline Lake is a charismatic character, a dreamer who wants to become a Lady War Correspondent. After Emmy fails to ask the right questions during a job interview at a newspaper, she finds herself in a job as typist for a wacky ‘Dear Abby’ type who refuses to respond to help letters that include any 'unpleasantness'. What constitutes unpleasantness? Suffice it to say that it is a long list and very few problem response letters will be written. One of my favorite things about this book is when it revolves around this letter writing as Emmy takes matters into her own hands to secretly respond to readers.

Delightful British humor and whimsical sayings are peppered into this story that provides ‘jolly good fun’! I enjoyed the mix of supporting characters like the eccentric Mrs. Bird and best friend Bunty, a gutsy free spirit and most loyal friend one could have.

As much fun as this book is, there is also a streak of melancholy beneath the humor as characters put on brave faces masking frazzled nerves. With the males off supporting war efforts, women/children live amidst air raid sirens and bombed-out neighborhood buildings in1940’s London during the assaults of Hitler in WWII.

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The first half of the book is delightfully funny even during blackouts, bombing raids, the efforts of the Auxiliary Fire Service to rescue those in blasted buildings and keep London from going up in flames. The stiff upper lips and “keep at it” attitudes without that most abhorred of all things – Making a Fuss – are a bracing reminder of how things were.

The problems that drive the letters that call to Emmy to Do Something range from silly – my husband doesn’t want me to cut my hair as he admires Dorothy Lamour – to heartbreaking. Emmy’s nascent romance with an Army Captain charmed my stockings off. Her day-to-day work at the magazine with the starchily hilarious but deeply caring Mr. Collins is a joy. Mrs. Bird – well brave men quaver in fear of that lady.

I knew eventually things would catch up with Emmy and when they did, the story moved into a deeper layer of emotion. Emmy does some growing up and soul searching as she grapples with continuing her letter replies and faces a tragedy. Emmy might not always make the best choices but she stays herself and acts true to character. Even as things go pear shaped, I couldn’t have seen her doing any differently. I would have liked to have seen, and was surprised that I didn’t, her parents and brother weighing in during the Last Bit of Unpleasantness. Also the book ends on a positive note but with unresolved issues. Perhaps that means a there will be more adventures in a second book for Emmy and the others? Yes, please I hope so. A-

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This first novel by AJ Pearce is a delight. It has everything I love in a book, a quirky yet lovable heroine, good friends, World War II England, and the world of women’s magazines including the always included advice column.

Pearce does a deft job of detailing the struggles of World War II while also showing that life had to proceed despite the challenging circumstances. The dialogue flowed well, and it was easy for me to feel the characters coming to life as the chapters unfolded. And while the backdrop to the book was the war, there are many joyful moments made even more so considering the era,

I was sad to see this book end. I hope that AJ Pearce is busy writing another!

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Somehow Dear Mrs. Bird manages to combine the genres of WWII historical fiction with light, "beach reading." As the novel is set in London during WWII, the subject matter is heavy but the style of writing and the characters offer a light, quirky, and even whimsical nature to the novel. In this sense, Dear Mrs. Bird is unlike any book I've read. I found that the tension of a war time novel feeling so light and quirky worked against my like for the protagonist. I did, however, have fun with all the colloquialisms used throughout the novel. The language used and style of writing caught me off guard and added to the light, "beach read" feel of the book. Overall, I'd suggest to read Dear Mrs. Bird when you're wanting to read something light and quirky and if you're a fan of historical fiction.

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Dear Mrs. Bird is about a girl named Emmy in WWII England who wants to become a War Correspondent. She takes a job as a Junior at a paper that she thinks will start her on this journey, however, she soon learns she is just ment to be a typist for an advice section in a women's magazine, that doesn't really give advice. She reads so many letters from those seeking advice that she is unable to give to Mrs. Bird, the one who gives the advice, because they are on mrs. Bird's "no-go" list, that she decides to take matters into her own hands and respond herself, something that if discovered could get her fired.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were light and it was a quick read. I enjoyed the letters and the subject of this book. I recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

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I love books like this. It's almost....old-timey. There's an air of innocence and lightness that I enjoy. It's not full of twists and turns, there's no explicit sex scenes. There's a plucky young woman, doing her part for the war effort in England. It's just....a good story.

Emmeline Lake dreams of becoming a War Correspondent. She applies for a job at the London Evening Chronicle for a Junior Typist and hopes that this is the dream job she's been looking for. What she finds, is that she's actually a typist for a women's magazine. While Emmy balances her work life and her volunteer life, she watches as London picks up it's broken pieces after night raid after night raid. Emmy finds letters to Mrs. Bird that are from young girls, struggling with modern problems - that Mrs. Bird find unacceptable. Emmy secretly begins to write these women back...

Emmy and her best friend Bunty are a fun pair and it's a joy to read about women like this, those who chipped in when times were awful. I'd like to imagine that I would have been the same.

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It is during WWII in England and Emmy is looking to be a woman correspondent during the war and accidentally ends up working for the cranky Mrs. Bird at a women’s magazine. Mrs. Bird is a Dear Abby of sorts, only she is very particular about the types of letters she answers, not wanting to address anything unseemly or too real.

In much of the way Mrs. Bird refused to face reality, much of the book I felt a degree a separation from the reality of the war and life in London. At times I was confused whether this was a quirky, playful book or a serious book about war. And for me that just didn’t work. The story picked up partway through, but the story was simply “ok.” I give it 3 stars.

You might be more into this book if you liked The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

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This is a delight. It's the London during the Blitz and every day is a challenge. Emmy dreams of being a war correspondent but finds herself instead working for Mrs. Bird, the least helpful advice columnist! Emmy takes it upon herself to write back to some of the women seeking solace- and even manages to get a few of the letters published without Mrs. Bird noticing. She lives with her best friend Bunty and works as a volunteer at the fire station where Bunty's fella William works. Oh this one has everything- love, disaster, hope. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This will tug at your heart- it got me in ways I didn't expect. I very much enjoyed it. Perfect for fans of the WWII Homefront novel. Pearce is a very very good storyteller.

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This was an enjoyable, lighthearted read. The WWII time period and London setting gave the book an interesting context and subplot. The character development was good. I wasn't blown away or enthralled with this book, but it was a fun read. I recommend it for that purpose alone.

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After reading that description, I knew I had to pick up Dear Mrs. Bird as soon as possible. A novel set in wartime London featuring a women’s magazine and celebrating female friendships and letter writing, sounded like just my cup of tea. And I’m very happy to say that it was. A. J. Pearce’s debut was a delight to read. It was entertaining and an instant mood-lifter. I hated for it to end, and would love to enjoy a second “cup” of cheer in the form of a sequel.

The writing is accessible and engaging, and I was immediately drawn into the story. It was a joy to spend time with Emmy; she has such a warm heart and it’s impossible not to root for her. The secondary characters are also fairly well-drawn, and I really enjoyed reading about the inner-workings of the Ladies’ magazine, especially the letters that were sent into Mrs. Bird. Pearce deftly blends humor and heartbreak, highlighting both wartime pluck and wartime horrors.

The close friendship between Bunty and Emmy is beyond lovely. The entire plot of Dear Mrs. Bird is wonderfully centered around female camaraderie and women’s contributions to the war effort. It was refreshing to read a wartime novel in which the romance plays a supporting role to that of friendship. In fact, my assumptions about where the romantic subplot was headed were completely wrong, and Pearce left that thread of the story fairly open-ended.

As someone who loves reading about wartime Britain, I wish there had been more historical detail woven throughout. At times it felt like Pearce relied a bit too heavily on popular perceptions of the era than on research or facts. Dear Mrs. Bird didn’t offer any new insight into this fascinating time period, but what it lacks in historical depth, it more than makes up for in heart.

Dear Mrs. Bird is completely charming. It is an escapist read full of lovely characters that you will be loath to leave behind. This wartime historical novel is the perfect blend of lightness and darkness, and a delightful reminder to keep calm and carry on when life gets tough.

**A huge thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

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Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to Scribner for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.
This is an optimistic, heartfelt story of how one woman decides to try to help other women during World War II, even if she knows what she is doing may not be the wisest decision. I enjoyed Emmy's character and optimism. Her relationship with Bunty was well developed and thought out.
I especially enjoyed the end of the story and the action that happened there. I did, though, want to linger in those scenes a bit more. I think that each character was so unique that i wanted to see the tension in their relationship a bit more.
However, the cheeriness of this novel is not something that is seen in this type of story set during the war. I think that the uniqueness of it will help set it apart and give readers an inside look to how day-to-day life was for those living in London.
Check out this book when it releases on July 3. It's different and enjoyable.
Happy Reading!

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5 Stars

What a beautiful debut! I am a sucker for historical fiction, and this book did not disappoint.

A.J. Pearce was able weave in humor as well as heartache into this story of a 23 year old woman, called Emmeline. During the 1940's WWII Blitz, Emmeline worked part time at a fire brigade and also had aspirations to become a war journalist. After responding to a job advertisement in the newspaper, she landed a job at a magazine publisher...but it was the wrong job. Instead of being a war correspondent, she took the job of typist for a women's magazine.

I really enjoyed the way that the author was able to bring humor to some heavy topics. I found myself laughing at so many of the antics that Emmeline found herself in, but also found myself in tears when difficult situations arose (When Bill died and when Bunty stopped speaking with her).

I love how the author wove in real life questions from magazines that she had found during the war. It really brought life to the strife that the women had at that time. Trying to stay positive while their lives were quite literally falling apart all around them. I also enjoyed the friendship aspect of this novel, as it was a breath of fresh air from all of the love-interest books we so often read.

I would recommend this to anyone YA and up. Even though this is an adult novel, I think it is written so many ages can consume it.

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It's sometimes hard for me to remember that books about WWII are historical fiction. I guess different generations have different notions about what is old. This story set in London during World War II deals with life on the home front for the women who are managing everyday life while the men are fighting the war. Dear Mrs. Bird is an advice column in a small women's magazine that is run by an old battleax that has everyone at the paper terrorized. When Emmaline applies for a job at the paper she realizes the advise given by Mrs. Bird is outdated and ignores the most distressing letters. So much insight into the lives of these ordinary people in London in 1940 and the thinking of the day. This book appears to be the 1st novel by A.J. Pearce and I hope her next one is as well written and researched as this one. I can feel the terror and heartbreak by Emmeline and Bunty and how their friendship is tested by circumstances beyond their control. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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